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Doctor Who: The Satan Pit
DOCTOR THE SATAN PIT
The Doctor and Rose travel to Krop Tor – an impossible planet orbiting a black hole, defying the laws of physics. With the TARDIS lost to them, trapped with a crew of human explorers and their alien servants, the Ood, they find ancient ruins... and something far older and darker stirring beneath the surface.
Whispers speak of a malevolent force imprisoned since before time – something that even the Doctor fears. As seismic horrors rise and minds begin to fracture, one terrifying question What if the Devil is real?
Screenwriter Matt Jones presents an inspired and novel retelling of his own two-part adventure from David Tennant’s first season as the Tenth Doctor, also starring Billie Piper as Rose.
The Doctor and Rose travel to Krop Tor – an impossible planet orbiting a black hole, defying the laws of physics. With the TARDIS lost to them, trapped with a crew of human explorers and their alien servants, the Ood, they find ancient ruins... and something far older and darker stirring beneath the surface.
Whispers speak of a malevolent force imprisoned since before time – something that even the Doctor fears. As seismic horrors rise and minds begin to fracture, one terrifying question What if the Devil is real?
Screenwriter Matt Jones presents an inspired and novel retelling of his own two-part adventure from David Tennant’s first season as the Tenth Doctor, also starring Billie Piper as Rose.
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Published March 26, 2026
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Matt Jones
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April 9, 2026The Satan Pit is probably my favourite Doctor Who episode ever so when the novelization was announced I pre-ordered it pretty much immediately. Unfortunately I was quite disappointed by how they handled the narration - I'd have been happy to read the POV of the side characters for some of it but having basically the entire story told from the perspectives of Ida, Danny, and Zack made me feel robbed when it came to some of the moments between the Doctor and Rose, especially because this story is so crucial to their relationship. Matt Jones also had to come up with so many strange ways to include the important scenes that didn't include any of the 3 narrators and it kinda felt like he was jumping through hoops to do so. This is also a small nitpick (but to me it's very serious) but I didn't like how they changed the implications about Ida's relationship with her father (and mother by extension), the suggestions of the nature of that situation always felt very powerful to me in the episode and to change it to something arguably much less dark really disappointed me. The climactic scene near the end was beautiful A++ no notes but I wish it hadn't taken so long for me to feel truly gripped by the story, especially considering I already felt such strong emotions about it going in. I really would have preferred that Matt Jones had refrained from doing anything fancy and had just stuck to the original structure of the episode, which I truly believe is one of the best television stories ever created.
July 9, 2026
"Doctor Who: The Satan Pit", an honestly beautifully written novelisation with its own outstandingly unique way of formating. I've always loved Doctor Who stories told from the perspectives of background characters and the way they perceive the Doctor and his companions as outsiders looking in. This book helped to answer any questions left hanging in the air when this two parted story was first aired back in 2006 without dragging on about boring context. My favourite part of original content in this book has to be the final chapter where it speaks of the Doctor visiting Ida one last time. It just really helps bring the world building together.
"Be Brilliant, Rose Tyler.
And know that I love you. With both my hearts. You'll never hear these words, but that doesn't make them any less true. Now save them all. And save yourself."
It has taken 11 years, but here, within the pages of this book, within the rules of canon lore, written out plain and simple, we finally get to see the Doctor speak of his romantic love for Rose Tyler and witness him think those important three words. Thank you, Matt Jones.
"Be Brilliant, Rose Tyler.
And know that I love you. With both my hearts. You'll never hear these words, but that doesn't make them any less true. Now save them all. And save yourself."
It has taken 11 years, but here, within the pages of this book, within the rules of canon lore, written out plain and simple, we finally get to see the Doctor speak of his romantic love for Rose Tyler and witness him think those important three words. Thank you, Matt Jones.
July 4, 2026
An effortless and imaginative adaptation that manages to incorporate the main transcript of the episode yet fill it with all new layers and character revelations...as well as a link to a future episode featuring the Ood. It was a surprise and a delight to read this...like the Target novels of old.
March 26, 2026
I wasn't initially convinced by the framing device of the interview and trial, but throughout I thought that it was weaved very well throughout the story, adding depth to the story seen on screen, fleshing out who everyone was and how they reacted to the events on the base. Another top class Target Novelisation of one of my favourite episodes.
August 30, 2026
I really enjoyed this story when it first aired: it was like a return to the four- or six-episode epics we used to get in the Classic series where you had time to get to know the characters and the settings. The story is presented here in an interesting manner, narrated by the three survivors of the expedition as they are interviewed by their parent company as to Who was responsible for the destruction of their base (shades of Ripley at the start of Aliens!). It should be a lot clumsier than it is, but through a rather brilliant call-forward to Planet Of The Ood, we learn about what happened in the climax of the story (though not how the Doctor recovered the TARDIS, unfortunately). It’s clever and imaginative, and a great retelling, despite a couple of gaps in the narrative.
March 30, 2026
The Doctor and Rose arrive at Krop-Tor, a human expedition to investigate a black hole, and discover an ancient evil trapped there, awaiting its chance to escape.
Jones, who introduced the Ood into the Whoniverse, chooses an interesting narrative style which really works to sell the story on the page.
Jones, who introduced the Ood into the Whoniverse, chooses an interesting narrative style which really works to sell the story on the page.
June 16, 2026
I always appreciate when Target writers try to do something unique, however this fell flat for me.
From shifting the narrative to first person perspective, I felt like we lost a lot of the story and tension.
The portrayal of Danny was nothing short of character assassination. The parts told from his POV were toe curling.
As Target novels go, I'd struggle to reccomend it.
From shifting the narrative to first person perspective, I felt like we lost a lot of the story and tension.
The portrayal of Danny was nothing short of character assassination. The parts told from his POV were toe curling.
As Target novels go, I'd struggle to reccomend it.
July 12, 2026
Good additions and lovely ending
April 13, 2026
Narratively one of the worst target novels I’ve read. Though the later half of the book gets better, I feel like having it as interviews and from the perspective of characters of that episode really missed the mark. So many untold perspectives missed out. The addition were great though one in particular fell flat for me. Overall, just watch the episodes.
April 1, 2026
SO GOOD.
The narrative style was such a brave choice that initially threw me off, but it really works. The additional scenes from the court room brought me to tears. Loved this.
The narrative style was such a brave choice that initially threw me off, but it really works. The additional scenes from the court room brought me to tears. Loved this.
April 22, 2026
It’s no secret that the BBC decision to continue novelizations of the revival is one mainly aimed at the fans of Doctor Who. The home media market already started to make the novelizations at least partially obsolete in the late 1980s, and by the time of the revival in 2005 and streaming video being just around the corner, there was no reason to really continue them. That means that often the best of these revival novelizations do something to set themselves apart from just a standard retelling of the original episode. Matt Jones’ The Satan Pit takes the approach of not centering the Doctor and Rose, instead telling the story near exclusively after the fact from the perspective of the three survivors with one interlude, placed just after the adaptation of “The Impossible Planet” from the perspectives of the detective and corporate representative interrogating our protagonists, and one scene from the perspective of the Doctor for the actual confrontation with the Beast. That latter scene is the closest the novel gets to Jones just taking the script and translating it into straight prose, though he is very much interested in exploring the Doctor’s love of Rose Tyler through subtle amendments to the dialogue tags, channeling David Tennant’s performance into the prose. This should annoy me, the Doctor in my mind should be an asexual character, however, Jones sells it particularly well because it’s one of those romances where “I love you” isn’t actually said. There’s also the insecurity that the Doctor isn’t able to get Rose back home, he did promise her mother and it is eating him up from the inside. Jones makes it explicit that the Beast is psychically enhancing everybody’s fears and trauma’s on the base, including the Doctor emphasizing the Doctor as fallable but not human. His mind may work differently, but he is against something far bigger than him.
Jones is also careful about when he gives the Doctor his scene, instead of putting it in chronological order, it’s moved towards the end. Ida, Danny, and Zach have actually finished their individual interrogations and we as the audience see a portion of their trial. For the reader this has the effect of a mysterious resolution, theoretically we don’t know exactly how they got out, especially Ida who was unconscious for the climax of the story. There was a possibility of ending it before the trial, and letting the audience not know the fate of the three, even if Big Finish Productions have brought them all back in their Torchwood range. The trial sequence does make up for it in general. Jones brings in ideas from “Planet of the Ood”, that the Ood are actually freed by the Doctor and Donna in between the end of “The Satan Pit” and the survivors making it back to Earth, and The End of Time, with the psychic link of the Ood to the Doctor specifically near the end of his life and the visit to people the Tenth Doctor had previously met included as an epilogue.
The Satan Pit’s worldbuilding is its biggest success. Because we are in the heads of the supporting characters, many of the scenes that are just the Doctor and Rose that couldn’t be overheard are either omitted completely or are trimmed down to what could theoretically be on security cameras. This makes the pair more distant and the supporting characters, especially Ida and Danny, as our real humans here. Their traumas are always just below the surface of the mind, the Beast bringing them there for as long as they’ve been on the base, even before the beginning of the story. It also adds this pressure of a society not so much on the brink of collapse, but one built on a capitalistic empire. The interrogations take the events of the story as ridiculous, something cooked up between the three survivors for some unknown and frankly impossible game. Jones uses it to reflect the current system of capitalism, stretched quite thin while being under the thumb of corporations who only care about the capital and not the human life. Jones also posits an almost religious like fanaticism forming around the Doctor because of the destruction of property which while slightly silly feels almost like a commentary on certain aspects of internet culture.
Overall, The Satan Pit is a riveting read. There is a sense that Jones isn’t actually writing for Doctor Who fans, which makes sense as he has written books that are meant to be for the general public even if they were technically spin-offs. Swapping out the protagonists means the novel is a fundamentally different experience, with the focus on different aspects of the story and the society in which it is set and reflecting upon. It changes much of the horror to work in the prose setting over two episodes of television. 10/10.
Jones is also careful about when he gives the Doctor his scene, instead of putting it in chronological order, it’s moved towards the end. Ida, Danny, and Zach have actually finished their individual interrogations and we as the audience see a portion of their trial. For the reader this has the effect of a mysterious resolution, theoretically we don’t know exactly how they got out, especially Ida who was unconscious for the climax of the story. There was a possibility of ending it before the trial, and letting the audience not know the fate of the three, even if Big Finish Productions have brought them all back in their Torchwood range. The trial sequence does make up for it in general. Jones brings in ideas from “Planet of the Ood”, that the Ood are actually freed by the Doctor and Donna in between the end of “The Satan Pit” and the survivors making it back to Earth, and The End of Time, with the psychic link of the Ood to the Doctor specifically near the end of his life and the visit to people the Tenth Doctor had previously met included as an epilogue.
The Satan Pit’s worldbuilding is its biggest success. Because we are in the heads of the supporting characters, many of the scenes that are just the Doctor and Rose that couldn’t be overheard are either omitted completely or are trimmed down to what could theoretically be on security cameras. This makes the pair more distant and the supporting characters, especially Ida and Danny, as our real humans here. Their traumas are always just below the surface of the mind, the Beast bringing them there for as long as they’ve been on the base, even before the beginning of the story. It also adds this pressure of a society not so much on the brink of collapse, but one built on a capitalistic empire. The interrogations take the events of the story as ridiculous, something cooked up between the three survivors for some unknown and frankly impossible game. Jones uses it to reflect the current system of capitalism, stretched quite thin while being under the thumb of corporations who only care about the capital and not the human life. Jones also posits an almost religious like fanaticism forming around the Doctor because of the destruction of property which while slightly silly feels almost like a commentary on certain aspects of internet culture.
Overall, The Satan Pit is a riveting read. There is a sense that Jones isn’t actually writing for Doctor Who fans, which makes sense as he has written books that are meant to be for the general public even if they were technically spin-offs. Swapping out the protagonists means the novel is a fundamentally different experience, with the focus on different aspects of the story and the society in which it is set and reflecting upon. It changes much of the horror to work in the prose setting over two episodes of television. 10/10.
October 17, 2026
When I heard about this particular Target novelization, I damn near lost my mind, I was so excited. The two-parter of The Impossible Planet and The Satan Pit was - and still is - among some of the best Modern Who episodes, so hearing that we were going to revisit it through a novel adaptation was an absolute thrill.
For the most part, it held up very well. I loved that Claire Rushbrook, who played the part of Ida Scott in the episodes, was tapped to be one of the narrators (along with Ronny Jhutti, who played Danny). I loved seeing the events from the perspectives of Ida, Danny, and Zach, as well as what happened after the events of the episode and how they had to deal with what went on once they returned to Earth.
That said, I didn't really care for the expansion of making Danny instantly start crushing on Rose to the point of him stalking her with the cameras. Can anyone say gross? I get that it was a way to include some crucial scenes were none of the POV characters were actually present, but perhaps not the best way. I might have handled or liked it better if Zach had been the one listening in, since, as the leader, he'd have ample reason to be watching Rose and the Doctor closely. Two strangers pop up out of nowhere on the base? He'd have every right to be suspicious and want to keep an eye on them. But no, instead we got stalker boy. Ick.
That aside, there were some fantastic little moments. The fact that all three POV characters figured out within, like, an hour of meeting Rose and the Doctor that they were in love with each other. That made me laugh, because jeez, even perfect strangers could see it lol.
Also loved that Matt Jones found a way to not only include the events of the fourth series episode Planet of the Ood, but also found a way to get the Tenth Doctor to genuinely admit that he was in love with Rose Tyler after fans having to wait twenty-plus years to hear it. The only thing that would have made it better was if we'd had David Tennant narrating it! But having the Ood be vital in saving Ida, Danny, and Zach at their trials by singing the Song of the Doctor to everyone present was such a great moment.
Also loved that Ten took the time to visit Ida during his Companion Tour at the end of his life. Very nicely done.
And finally, the lines:
"I hurl the rock at the second vase and it smashes into a million little pieces. The Beast howls in agony.
"Howzat!" I scream A Time Lord victorious as a world burns!"
Damn, that was a great bit of foreshadowing! Didn't see that one coming!
Overall, this was very well-done! Greatly enjoyed it!
For the most part, it held up very well. I loved that Claire Rushbrook, who played the part of Ida Scott in the episodes, was tapped to be one of the narrators (along with Ronny Jhutti, who played Danny). I loved seeing the events from the perspectives of Ida, Danny, and Zach, as well as what happened after the events of the episode and how they had to deal with what went on once they returned to Earth.
That said, I didn't really care for the expansion of making Danny instantly start crushing on Rose to the point of him stalking her with the cameras. Can anyone say gross? I get that it was a way to include some crucial scenes were none of the POV characters were actually present, but perhaps not the best way. I might have handled or liked it better if Zach had been the one listening in, since, as the leader, he'd have ample reason to be watching Rose and the Doctor closely. Two strangers pop up out of nowhere on the base? He'd have every right to be suspicious and want to keep an eye on them. But no, instead we got stalker boy. Ick.
That aside, there were some fantastic little moments. The fact that all three POV characters figured out within, like, an hour of meeting Rose and the Doctor that they were in love with each other. That made me laugh, because jeez, even perfect strangers could see it lol.
Also loved that Matt Jones found a way to not only include the events of the fourth series episode Planet of the Ood, but also found a way to get the Tenth Doctor to genuinely admit that he was in love with Rose Tyler after fans having to wait twenty-plus years to hear it. The only thing that would have made it better was if we'd had David Tennant narrating it! But having the Ood be vital in saving Ida, Danny, and Zach at their trials by singing the Song of the Doctor to everyone present was such a great moment.
Also loved that Ten took the time to visit Ida during his Companion Tour at the end of his life. Very nicely done.
And finally, the lines:
"I hurl the rock at the second vase and it smashes into a million little pieces. The Beast howls in agony.
"Howzat!" I scream A Time Lord victorious as a world burns!"
Damn, that was a great bit of foreshadowing! Didn't see that one coming!
Overall, this was very well-done! Greatly enjoyed it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 5, 2026
An adaptation of Jones' own original scripts for the episodes 'The Impossible Planet' and 'The Satan Pit', featuring the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant) and his companion Rose Tyler.
The Doctor and Rose arrive on a remote exploration outpost which sits on a planet impossibly orbiting a black hole. Befriending the team of explorers, they collectively discover that there is something powerful, ancient and evil chained in the darkness beneath the planet's surface.
Normally, I call these Target range books 'novelisations', but it's definitely more accurate to call this particular one an adaptation because Jones decides to retell the story of the episodes in a very different way.
Here we get the first-person testimonies of the characters Ida, Danny and Zack, as they try to explain to the authorities what happened on their mission to the planet Krop Tor as part of an inquiry into the destruction of the base and the deaths of so many crewmembers. It actually brought a freshness to the story that I liked, adding perspectives we might not otherwise consider whilst focusing on the Doctor and Rose, whilst also getting us to look at those two characters through the eyes of the people whose lives they randomly jumped into the middle of.
In the interest of fairness, it is worth me saying that a fair amount of my enjoyment of this book can be attributed to the fact that this particular two-parter is one of my favourite stories of David Tennant's era as the Doctor, combining the classic base-under-siege Who staple with a certain amount of cosmic horror and existential dread. However, since Jones wrote both the episodes and this book, I don't feel like it's cheating to fold my basic enjoyment of the episodes into my appreciation of the adaptation.
The one downside to this book is, ironically, a result of one of the first-person retelling that makes the rest of it so compelling.
The scenes where the Doctor confronts the Beast cannot be told by Danny, Zack or Ida and so, through some very-contrived Ood intervention, we get those scenes from the Doctor's first-person perspective. The problem is that the Doctor is a brilliant character to see from the outside, but having his internal thought processes revealed to us actually detracts from the mystique of his character and makes him feel more prosaic than I was comfortable with.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *
The Doctor and Rose arrive on a remote exploration outpost which sits on a planet impossibly orbiting a black hole. Befriending the team of explorers, they collectively discover that there is something powerful, ancient and evil chained in the darkness beneath the planet's surface.
Normally, I call these Target range books 'novelisations', but it's definitely more accurate to call this particular one an adaptation because Jones decides to retell the story of the episodes in a very different way.
Here we get the first-person testimonies of the characters Ida, Danny and Zack, as they try to explain to the authorities what happened on their mission to the planet Krop Tor as part of an inquiry into the destruction of the base and the deaths of so many crewmembers. It actually brought a freshness to the story that I liked, adding perspectives we might not otherwise consider whilst focusing on the Doctor and Rose, whilst also getting us to look at those two characters through the eyes of the people whose lives they randomly jumped into the middle of.
In the interest of fairness, it is worth me saying that a fair amount of my enjoyment of this book can be attributed to the fact that this particular two-parter is one of my favourite stories of David Tennant's era as the Doctor, combining the classic base-under-siege Who staple with a certain amount of cosmic horror and existential dread. However, since Jones wrote both the episodes and this book, I don't feel like it's cheating to fold my basic enjoyment of the episodes into my appreciation of the adaptation.
The one downside to this book is, ironically, a result of one of the first-person retelling that makes the rest of it so compelling.
The scenes where the Doctor confronts the Beast cannot be told by Danny, Zack or Ida and so, through some very-contrived Ood intervention, we get those scenes from the Doctor's first-person perspective. The problem is that the Doctor is a brilliant character to see from the outside, but having his internal thought processes revealed to us actually detracts from the mystique of his character and makes him feel more prosaic than I was comfortable with.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *
October 31, 2026
Having been a huge fan and as one of my favourite modern who off planet adventures, I was thrilled at the prospect of what this novel adaptation of an incredibly popular television story could bring but I was left quite disappointed at the route the novel took within the overall narration.
Centering on the three central survivors of this adventure which does not differ from the televised adventure, I was more than happy for this direction to be taken for a portion of the book however for it to be focused and told from their perspective from essentially the entire novel I was not sold although definitely do appreciate the fleshing out of these otherwise side characters but wished The Doctor & Rose relationship/partnership was displayed from their unique POVs as I believe this to be an important step in their overall story arcs.
However... that is not to say I was disappointed with the novel as a whole as said above the fleshing out and depth of character we see within these characters mines at a lot more than what the televised adventures do, with small cut-ins from the interrogations, prison life and the final trial which provide an insight about what happened after the doctor left these characters a little. This was an incredible strength of this book and type of bold storytelling that I really enjoy in retellings of televised adventures.
Overall the plot is very much the same and has the same heart whilst offering a different perspective to what we have seen on our screens and what a time for it to come to fruition as it's twentieth anniversary of initial airing is this year and to celebrate it hitting the big screens next month!
Centering on the three central survivors of this adventure which does not differ from the televised adventure, I was more than happy for this direction to be taken for a portion of the book however for it to be focused and told from their perspective from essentially the entire novel I was not sold although definitely do appreciate the fleshing out of these otherwise side characters but wished The Doctor & Rose relationship/partnership was displayed from their unique POVs as I believe this to be an important step in their overall story arcs.
However... that is not to say I was disappointed with the novel as a whole as said above the fleshing out and depth of character we see within these characters mines at a lot more than what the televised adventures do, with small cut-ins from the interrogations, prison life and the final trial which provide an insight about what happened after the doctor left these characters a little. This was an incredible strength of this book and type of bold storytelling that I really enjoy in retellings of televised adventures.
Overall the plot is very much the same and has the same heart whilst offering a different perspective to what we have seen on our screens and what a time for it to come to fruition as it's twentieth anniversary of initial airing is this year and to celebrate it hitting the big screens next month!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 11, 2026
I was SO happy to see that there was some new target books and of some of the fantastic earlier series. There’s plenty of the newer ones with Ncuti but the ones with the 9, 10 & 11th Doc are fewer and far between. AND we get the Satan Pit / Impossible Planet which was amongst my absolute favourites of all time.
What was so great about this one too and what made it so novel was that it was a retelling of the episode, written in a different way with different perspectives and a whole new vantage point (plus written by the same writer who wrote the episodes so it really felt like it was in good hands).
I enjoyed this book so much - both revisiting the episode and seeing it in a whole new light. We get new added bits of extras and snippets in between and beyond which just made the whole book so fab. I think I’ll also listen to this in the audiobook format too as I think that’s bound to be an entertaining listen (with all the original actors coming back to voice their respective parts). I can’t wait to read the other two that have come out recently (The Aliens of London and The Time of Angels), I’m keeping my fingers crossed there will be more to come from the earlier series!
What was so great about this one too and what made it so novel was that it was a retelling of the episode, written in a different way with different perspectives and a whole new vantage point (plus written by the same writer who wrote the episodes so it really felt like it was in good hands).
I enjoyed this book so much - both revisiting the episode and seeing it in a whole new light. We get new added bits of extras and snippets in between and beyond which just made the whole book so fab. I think I’ll also listen to this in the audiobook format too as I think that’s bound to be an entertaining listen (with all the original actors coming back to voice their respective parts). I can’t wait to read the other two that have come out recently (The Aliens of London and The Time of Angels), I’m keeping my fingers crossed there will be more to come from the earlier series!
August 28, 2026
https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/the-satan-pit-by-matt-jones/
This is another one of the good ones. It is presented as a set of testimonials, and other incidents, from the enquiry that the Krop Tor base crew faced when they finally got back. This neatly solves a story-telling problem: you don’t need an omniscient narrator when you have a bunch of different viewpoints, and each admits from the start that each has only a partial view of the events.
Doing the story that way means that you end up with quite a different experience of the plot from watching the original TV version, but a good one. It also centres the guest characters, and the impact that the Doctor and Rose make on the rest of their lives, which doesn’t often feature in what we see once the TARDIS departs. There is one chunk of narrative told from the Doctor’s own point of view about three quarters of the way through, and it’s not clear how that gets into the book, but I think most readers will swallow it anyway. The original story is good, and the novelisation is good too.
This is another one of the good ones. It is presented as a set of testimonials, and other incidents, from the enquiry that the Krop Tor base crew faced when they finally got back. This neatly solves a story-telling problem: you don’t need an omniscient narrator when you have a bunch of different viewpoints, and each admits from the start that each has only a partial view of the events.
Doing the story that way means that you end up with quite a different experience of the plot from watching the original TV version, but a good one. It also centres the guest characters, and the impact that the Doctor and Rose make on the rest of their lives, which doesn’t often feature in what we see once the TARDIS departs. There is one chunk of narrative told from the Doctor’s own point of view about three quarters of the way through, and it’s not clear how that gets into the book, but I think most readers will swallow it anyway. The original story is good, and the novelisation is good too.
May 4, 2026
The Impossible Planet and The Satan Pit are two of my favourite episodes of modern Doctor Who, giving a modern twist to the classic base-under-siege story. Matt Jones has captured the twists, turns and thrills of his original scripts and added useful exposition that ties the novelisation to the events that will follow in and The End of Time.
If there is anything wrong with the adaptation it is the somewhat contrived framing of an investigation into the loss of the Sanctuary Base that is the location of the story. Presenting the tale as witness statements from the survivors robs the reader of the growing menace of the possessed Ood. It also leads to a highly contrived resolution for the story as there is no one other than the Doctor present in the climatic scenes - which, unless I missed it, also lack the important point of how the TARDIS is recovered.
It's a decent read, but could have been better.
If there is anything wrong with the adaptation it is the somewhat contrived framing of an investigation into the loss of the Sanctuary Base that is the location of the story. Presenting the tale as witness statements from the survivors robs the reader of the growing menace of the possessed Ood. It also leads to a highly contrived resolution for the story as there is no one other than the Doctor present in the climatic scenes - which, unless I missed it, also lack the important point of how the TARDIS is recovered.
It's a decent read, but could have been better.
September 7, 2026
The Target novelisation of the series 2 two-parter (The Satan Pit) is really a delight. The book reimagines the story from the perspective of each character, which really allowed for expansion on the original story as well as the characters. The Doctor’s perspective is saved for the end and that really was a clever move as it gives the reader something to look forward to as they progress. I believe that this Target really stayed true to the style of the book series in that the story is greatly expanded upon in ways that would never have been possible when this story came out in 2006. The Ood are so much more menacing and the imagery of their killer communicator globes floating around and the depth of the killing really did add things that me as a child would have ended up in counselling as a result of watching. Admittedly the backstories of the incidental characters (Danny, Ida, Scooti, Zack) do have a limit to how interesting they are but it was nonetheless great to picture the amazing actors who brought the characters to life; all delivering the much more gritty dialogue and faring with much more with the Ood threat and the new terrifying powers from the Beast. The Doctor and Rose still occupy the same roles in the narrative as they did on TV and that was nice, the main difference though is that we don’t really focus on them as much. It is delightful that Matt Jones feels confident enough about the plot that he feels like he can focus on retelling/improving the story instead of just an unimpressive recounting word for word of the TV story. If you’re looking for lots of 10 and/or Rose then you may not find this the best Tennant Target novel, but you really won’t be disappointed of this new version of one of the best 10th Doctor stories.
June 20, 2026
I listened to the audiobook for this one. I loved the narration with this. It was great
This book made me love Ida so much.
The chapter from the doctor's point of view was so cool and I wish I had seen more!
I did not like Danny's chapters mostly because he was a creep about Rose and I did not like how he viewed his relationships with women like wdym you're upset that women trust you with drinks? Also why are you mentioning your boner 🤨
I loved Zack's pov chapters, he made me so sad when he said that hugging the doctor made him think of home because he smelled like the outdoors.
Also that ending 'together but not together' and you just know it's right before the doctor regenerates just oh god.
This book made me love Ida so much.
The chapter from the doctor's point of view was so cool and I wish I had seen more!
I did not like Danny's chapters mostly because he was a creep about Rose and I did not like how he viewed his relationships with women like wdym you're upset that women trust you with drinks? Also why are you mentioning your boner 🤨
I loved Zack's pov chapters, he made me so sad when he said that hugging the doctor made him think of home because he smelled like the outdoors.
Also that ending 'together but not together' and you just know it's right before the doctor regenerates just oh god.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 5, 2026
I've never been a massive fan of The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit two-part TV story. I'm not sure why. Possibly because, like all the space ship/space station-based early new series series, all just looked one step too far beyond its budget.
But that is not an issue here, and Matt Jones has done an excellent job of transferring the episodes to the page. He's taken liberties with the standard Target form which haven't been seen since Donald Cotton's fantastic Hartnell novelisations. And like those books this goes straight into the top 10 Targets for me.
But that is not an issue here, and Matt Jones has done an excellent job of transferring the episodes to the page. He's taken liberties with the standard Target form which haven't been seen since Donald Cotton's fantastic Hartnell novelisations. And like those books this goes straight into the top 10 Targets for me.
April 2, 2026
A great fast read novelisation of the TV story. Not much changes in part 1, besides the obvious, being that the story is now told in the form of testimonies from the three survivors from sanctuary base rather than in the third person. There’s a few changes that come in with part 2, and you get to learn about the Ood after the events of ‘Planet of the Ood’, which is a good touch. The last few pages are a great addition to the story.
May 13, 2026
Converting a tv story to a series of first person narratives creates a few clunky turns, loses some things and adds others, but it was great to try something different. It was interesting to hear what happened when the crew reached home, especially the very final section. We even get a bit of first person Doctor, a rarity.
June 20, 2026
Literally just rewatched this for the 20th anniversary of Tennant’s first full season, so interesting to explore on the printed page. Presented as a series of first person accounts by the trio of survivors like many modern target books it takes advantage of knowing what is due to happen to the Doctor after this. Compulsive page turner.
June 29, 2026
As a big lover of the original TV story, I was always going to rate this highly. The original writer of the screenplay interestingly adapts the story here, however there are some odd creative choices that unfortunately detract from the experience overall.
November 4, 2026
[Audio]
This is the stuff of dreams. Such a brilliant take on an adaptation and incredible in audio. There's an interesting take by setting it as a reflective interrogation which makes it sharper and sadder at once and the audio drama is maybe the best DW audio I've listened to. Monto Bene
This is the stuff of dreams. Such a brilliant take on an adaptation and incredible in audio. There's an interesting take by setting it as a reflective interrogation which makes it sharper and sadder at once and the audio drama is maybe the best DW audio I've listened to. Monto Bene
June 16, 2026
Really really enjoyed this.
Having each chapter take place from a characters pov was a great shout that added depth to an already brilliant episode!
Loved it
Having each chapter take place from a characters pov was a great shout that added depth to an already brilliant episode!
Loved it
September 30, 2026
Now THIS is what a Doctor Who adaptation should be like.
I love how the story was told from the survivors’ pov instead of being just another mediocre retelling. I love how the characters’ storylines weren’t unnecessarily tangled together just to pad out the book, but were instead woven together into a beautiful ode of the Doctor and Rose, while still allowing each character to shine in their own way.
I was surprisingly touched by the court scene and Ida’s final letter. Reading these little glimpses into future episodes reminded me why I fell in love with this show in the first place.
(Well, it’s because of Rose Tyler, obviously. But also, this. This belief in always trying to do the right thing, in standing up for what matters, and above all, in choosing love.)
I love how the story was told from the survivors’ pov instead of being just another mediocre retelling. I love how the characters’ storylines weren’t unnecessarily tangled together just to pad out the book, but were instead woven together into a beautiful ode of the Doctor and Rose, while still allowing each character to shine in their own way.
I was surprisingly touched by the court scene and Ida’s final letter. Reading these little glimpses into future episodes reminded me why I fell in love with this show in the first place.
(Well, it’s because of Rose Tyler, obviously. But also, this. This belief in always trying to do the right thing, in standing up for what matters, and above all, in choosing love.)
Review of advance copy
(This audiobook was released 26 March alongside the print edition, so I'm not sure why Goodreads has it listed as June)
I'm always amazed at how impressive the modern Target novels are. In fact, they are quite often even better than the classics, surprisingly.
This one is no exception, and the audiobook version especially just takes this story to another level. It's told from the viewpoint of the three surviving guest characters Ida, Danny and Zack (two of whom are voiced by their original actors), under interrogation about the whole Sanctuary Base incident.
It's a unique framing device, and thanks to the interpersonal narration, we get a lot more depth to the story, including explanations on what exactly the crew's fears (which The Beast taunted them about) were.
Further to that point, it turns this Target novel into something which is part-novelisation and part-sequel. The way the interrogation part of the story evolves within the narrative is brilliant, and I do wonder if this was how Jones originally envisioned his script being played out.
The epilogue is also very sweet and it's nice to know Ida was one of the people the Tenth Doctor visited on his farewell tour.
I'm always amazed at how impressive the modern Target novels are. In fact, they are quite often even better than the classics, surprisingly.
This one is no exception, and the audiobook version especially just takes this story to another level. It's told from the viewpoint of the three surviving guest characters Ida, Danny and Zack (two of whom are voiced by their original actors), under interrogation about the whole Sanctuary Base incident.
It's a unique framing device, and thanks to the interpersonal narration, we get a lot more depth to the story, including explanations on what exactly the crew's fears (which The Beast taunted them about) were.
Further to that point, it turns this Target novel into something which is part-novelisation and part-sequel. The way the interrogation part of the story evolves within the narrative is brilliant, and I do wonder if this was how Jones originally envisioned his script being played out.
The epilogue is also very sweet and it's nice to know Ida was one of the people the Tenth Doctor visited on his farewell tour.
May 16, 2026
So excited to get a novel of one of my favourite episodes of series 2.
The diary entries of how they wrote this, was fantastic. Didn’t think it would work but it was a good and different perspective of a lot of characters and made it feel like your with the crew and experiencing the story from their side rather than the tv show which leans more Doctor and Roses side. Love how they fill out the story and what happens after the doctor leaves and the humans go home as that’s the part that’s missing from the tv show (which can’t go into it that deep which I understand)
The diary entries of how they wrote this, was fantastic. Didn’t think it would work but it was a good and different perspective of a lot of characters and made it feel like your with the crew and experiencing the story from their side rather than the tv show which leans more Doctor and Roses side. Love how they fill out the story and what happens after the doctor leaves and the humans go home as that’s the part that’s missing from the tv show (which can’t go into it that deep which I understand)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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